Short Lived Pleasures
by Sabathiel
Summary: Even though Hichigo liked to tease his Queen, he still loved her very dear. Hichigo/Rukia Ichigo/Rukia
1. Identity

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. It is property of Tite Kubo.**

* * *

It was a just a casual morning. Casual, lovely, bland. A Saturday morning of relaxation. At least, it was supposed to be.

Kuchiki Rukia sat down in the green grass, knees pulled up to her chest and back pressed firmly against a late blossoming plum tree. A book lay open against her knees; she held a bunny bookmark in her hand to prevent any chill breezes from blowing it away. Kurosaki Ichigo sat on the other side of the tree with legs outstretched. He was currently happily munching away on an apple, quite loudly in fact.

At first, it didn't bother Rukia, but the longer he chewed, the more it began to get on her nerves. Finally, she looked over her shoulder at him and snapped, "Must you chew so loud?! I am trying to read!"

Ichigo looked at her blankly and shrugged, muttering something underneath his breath about how pushy she was and how he refused to listen to her. He continued to eat loudly, but he was nice enough to lower the volume a few notches.

Rukia glanced over her shoulder at him again, taking a small note of how distant he had been to her lately. Since the Grimmjow Jeagerjaques incident, Ichigo remained silent and strayed away from her. And then when he disappeared the day after the Espada incident, he never even told her where he went or what he did. And then when Jeagerjaques returned, Ichigo had new abilities. However, he never explained how he learned them.

Maybe he was going to tell her. Maybe he was about to tell her after the meeting concerning Inoue's disappearance if her brother hadn't come and taken her back. Rukia looked away from the redhead, dragging her eyes back to the piece of literature in her lap.

* * *

Ichigo couldn't bring himself to look at her.

Twice she had gotten hurt. Twice he had been unable to prevent her injuries. Twice he had been unable to save her. Tousen interrupted the fight the first time, taking Jeagerjaques away before the winner of the brawl had been decided. The second time, Shinji had saved Rukia from the same Espada who hurt her the first time, succeeded in hurting Jeagerjaques and then another Espada came and took him away again.

The major problems lay within his hollow. Rukia's injuries not only upset Ichigo himself, but it also annoyed his hollow, Hichigo Ogichi Shirosaki. During the second battle, Hichigo had been unable to save Rukia as well from her injuries.

Hichigo

He was the one major problem that would never go away for the rest of Ichigo's life. The hollow was always there, whispering to him, hushed angry whispers whenever he closed his eyes or when the silence needed to be broken. He was always whispering... when Ichigo wasn't in his inner world. In the inner world, Hichigo was shouting. As loud as he could, he yelled at Ichigo for being weak, for losing battles, for being a lazy King, for letting his Queen get hurt.

It took a while to figure out who Hichigo's queen was. It took him a while since the hollow never called her by her name. He hinted by calling her 'Soul Reaper' and 'Shinigami' and then Ichigo realized that the Queen was Rukia Kuchiki. Why she was his Queen, he had no idea. Hichigo wasn't explaining either.

It was hard to be around Rukia. Every time Ichigo was with her, Hichigo would start whispering things. Dark, naughty things about Rukia; things Ichigo didn't want to hear. At first, Ichigo would just ignore the hollow, suppressing him and continuing with life. But that was now becoming more difficult since Shinji demanded he not suppress the hollow and Hichigo was becoming more persistent. Even worse, Hichigo could easily take over Ichigo's body like child's play. Lucky for Ichigo, the hollow rarely did that.

You see, taking over Ichigo's body wasn't the worse thing the hollow could do. Hichigo figured out that he could materialize himself into Ichigo's world like all other zanpakuto spirits instead of just dragging Ichigo into his own inner world. Besides, real world was much better than inner world. Inner world had memories of Rukia Kuchiki. Real world had the real thing. Fortunately, he didn't do that often, finding out that overdoing it gobbled up spirit energy and caused Rukia's hollow pager to keep going off.

_"Kiiiiiiiiiing," _Hichigo said obnoxiously in Ichigo's head. _"Queen is jus' right there. Why don'cha talk to her instead of eatin' yer apple? Yer already fat enough."_

Ichigo ignored his hollow's comments. Just ignoring, no suppressing. Suppressing is a no no.

_"C'mon, King, I want her. I _need_ her. Let me have her, King. Pleeeeeeeeeeease."_

"No, Hollow," Ichigo answered firmly like he was talking to a child. "She's busy."

_"She's readin' a book. How is that 'busy'? Looks like a borin' book to me. Maybe we can entertain her."_

"No, Hollow," Ichigo said again. "No way."

_"Alright, fine. I guess I'll entertain her myself." _

"NO!" Without thinking, Ichigo had said the last word out loud. Hichigo snickered inside his mind as Rukia turned around with a confused look. "I, er, dropped my apple," he said quickly, pointing to the apple core he had set down in the grass.

Rukia looked at him for a few moments longer with a frown becoming more apparent by the second. Finally, she shook her head and got up to her feet, dusting off her blue dress. "I'm just going to read back at your house."

Ichigo nodded, getting up to follow her. "Alright then."

* * *

Hichigo was careful that night. He waited for Rukia's pager to go off since a stupid, lowly hollow appeared just about every night. She had always insisted that she could handle these on her own so Ichigo just slept, ignoring the irritating beeping of the hollow radar.

The hollow remained awake in the inner world while Ichigo slept. He waited patiently for her pager to ring. The wait was tedious and Hichigo stayed up all night just waiting for it. Finally a beeping went off! Hichigo sat up and realized that it wasn't Rukia's pager but King's alarm clock.

The one time the hollows decided to take the night off!

The following night after constant whispering to King during the day, Hichigo sat patiently waiting once more. "If no hollows appear t'night, there is gonna be some trouble," the hollow muttered sardonically.

He sat there on the lopsided buildings, waiting and waiting for the sudden flare of his Queen's reishi. The hollow, bored easily, nearly fell asleep until he was jerked into consciousness by a shrill beeping in the silence of the night, followed by the surge of a Shinigami's spiritual pressure.

Ichigo stirred in his sleep from the spirit energy and then turned over, letting out a soft snore. Hichigo materialized from his inner world to the real world and slowly snuck out the window and followed Rukia silently in the night.

He stayed off silently to the side while he watched her easily and flawlessly dispatch the weak hollow. When the mask was destroyed by her zanpakuto, it shrieked before disintegrating into tiny particles. With a cackle like laugh, Hichigo emerged from the sidelines to face his surprised Queen. "Hiya," he said with a smirk.

"Ichigo?!" Rukia questioned.

"Close," Hichigo answered, giving her a bit of leniency since she had never met him before.

"Are you Ichigo's hollow?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh yeah," Hichigo grinned. Upon hearing his answer, Rukia stepped back, resuming a defensive stance with _Sode no Shirayuki_ held out tightly in front of her. "Aw, I don' wanna fight ya," Hichigo says mockingly as he steps forward to her. "I jus' wanna see yer face and talk to ya without King hanging around."

"Talk to me?" Rukia repeated, stepping back to keep the distance between herself and the hollow. "What could a hollow want to talk about with a Shinigami?"

Hichigo smirked evilly and performed a shunpo. In a blur, he stood in front of Rukia. Cackling maniacally, he clenched his fist and slammed it down onto the hilt of her sword. She gasped and let go of it; the sword clanged as it hit the ground. Before she could use any kidô on the hollow, he swiped at her and had her shoved against a telephone pole. The pole shook upon impact and before she could touch the ground, Hichigo caught her, holding her up by her throat.

"You pig," she hissed softly. Instinctively, her hands grasped at his wrists to loosen his hold on her neck.

"Pretty, pretty, Queen," Hichigo whispered as he leaned forward and ran his tongue against her cheek.

It was then Rukia realized that the hollow's hold on her throat was not to wring her pretty neck but just prevent her from running from him. His grasp was loose enough to let her breathe easily, but tight enough to keep her still.

"Who are you?" She choked out.

The hollow stopped licking her pale skin, pulling away fractionally to smirk. His fingers unfurled themselves around her throat and touched her face. He tilted her face up to his and abruptly kissed her. Rukia jerked, attempting to get away from him, but his hands moved to her arms to keep her still as he kissed her roughly. His tongue darted past her lips in a French Kiss and after what seemed like an eternity to Rukia, he finally pulled away.

Still smirking, his lips pressed against her neck as he bit her hard. Rukia gasped and Hichigo kissed it lightly, knowing that it would bruise to be a hickey later. He continued to kiss her neck gently and finally looked up into her shocked, and frightened violet eyes. "Hichigo Ogichi Shirosaki," he said huskily.

There was silence as Rukia tried to find her voice. "W-what?" she stuttered.

"My name," the hollow answered. "Ya asked fer it."


	2. Lunch

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach. Property of Tite Kubo.**

**A/N: I've decided I'm not going to write Hichigo's accented speech. Drives me insane.**

* * *

Reaching over, Rukia slammed her hand onto her Chappy alarm clock and then reburied herself beneath the covers. "Bad dream, bad dream, bad dream," she told herself repeatedly before finally crawling out of bed. Her dark hair was rumpled as she made her way to the bathroom, never once stopping to think of something other than her dream of the previous night.

There was no way it could have been real life. For starters, why would Ichigo's hollow bother following her out into the night and mess around with her? Her cheeks tinted slightly at the vague memory of him stealing her first kiss. She shook her head; there was no way that the hollow had kissed her. After all, she was convinced that everything was just a dream...

...Until she saw the massive hickey on her neck in the bathroom mirror. Her hands clapped over her mouth to muffle the surprised squeak she let out.

"Rukia, you alright in there?" Ichigo asked as he knocked on the bathroom door.

"Fine!" She answered. "I'm perfectly wonderfully fine!"

Ichigo nodded, and then headed downstairs for Yuzu's breakfast, wondering why his hollow just started snickering.

Rukia leaned closer to the mirror to get a better look at the bruise. She reached up and gingerly let her fingertips brush against it. "It wasn't a dream," she murmured softly, "oh god, it wasn't a dream!" Her fingers instantly went to her lips and the realization dawned on her that she had just had her first kiss with a hollow. She dug through the drawers in search of a band-aid and stuck it onto her neck. While putting on her uniform and brushing out her hair, she was trying to come up with a decent excuse for the band-aid on her neck.

"I got bit by a bug," was what she said to Isshin, Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin at the breakfast table. They stared at her blankly, seeming to not buy the excuse, then shrugged and continued eating. Rukia looked down at her plate, relieved and glad that she had dodged a bullet. School, however, was a different story.

"Bug bite?" Chizuru repeated unbelievingly, "suuuuuuure. I didn't know you were so kinky, Rukia." Her comment was rewarded with a jab in the stomach from Tatsuki. Orihime kept asking if Rukia was alright and the other girls just accepted her answer.

Chad and Uryu couldn't care less about a bug bite on Rukia's neck. Mizuiru asked Ichigo for the real story of what happened. Ichigio denied knowing anything, but Keigo was the one who had the closest answer; he came up with the theory that Ichigo gave Rukia a hickey. Though, it was actually Hichigo but they were the same person, were they not?

Ichigo frowned as the hollow's snickering didn't stop. In fact, the snickerings became fits of gleeful laughter. "What's so funny, hollow?" Ichigo questioned him.

"_Nothing,_" Hichigo answered and attempted to suppress his laughter.

* * *

When the lunch bell rang, Rukia stepped away from the group of girls, just wanting to be alone at the moment. As usual, she climbed up high into the tree where the branches and leaves were the thickest and able to hide her body. Settling down cozily in a nook of two branches, Rukia lay back, opening her book and sighing as she finally got the peace and silence she was longing for.

"What's up, Queen?" Rukia jerked abruptly, nearly falling off the branches when she heard _his_ voice. "Careful, Queen, wouldn't want you tumbling down," Hichigo said with a smirk as he reached out to steady her.

"You!" She hissed when she found her voice, "hollow! You are just despicable!"

"Now that was mean," Hichigo replied as he steadied himself on a branch and settled himself down. "I have feelings, you know."

Rukia jerked a finger to her neck and then demanded, "what is this about?! And the kiss was way overboard! Oh, if I wasn't in my gigai and at school, I would-"

"Why the false threats?" Hichigo asked smugly as he cut her off. "You don't really mean them and besides, you can't beat me."

She paused, unsure how to respond to his words. Swallowing her hate for the hollow, she finally changed the subject and asked, "what do you want with me?"

"I told you last night. I just want to talk to you without King hanging around," the hollow replied. Balancing himself on a branch he jumped up onto her branch and smirked smugly.

"Woah, stay on _your _branch and get off of _my_ branch," Rukia said quickly, bracing herself for whatever the hollow was going to do to her.

Hichigo laughed aloud and leaned forward. "_Your _branch? I didn't you already labeled the branches." Catching a hold of her, he shoved his lips against hers forcefully. Instead of standing there frozen like the first time, Rukia struggled against the hollow, thrashing to get her freedom. She then bit down onto his tongue when he attempted to slip it past her lips and he jerked away.

"Why do you keep doing that?!" She gasped, wiping her mouth and now climbing down the tree.

"You taste so good," the hollow remarked dirtily as he followed her down. He pinned her against the tree trunk and then grinded his hips against her roughly. "I'm not going to hurt you, Queen. I'm not going to eat your or ravage you or whatever it is you're thinking." He brushed his lips gently against hers and then kissed her cheek. Rukia squeezed her eyes shut and clung to Hichigo to keep her balance as she waited for the bell to ring, signaling her to get back to class; this was the longest lunch period in her life.

"Shit," Hichigo swore as he pulled away from her. "King is calling, so later." He jumped down a branch and then disappeared into nothing as he retreated back into the Inner World.

Dazed, Rukia touched her lips and sighed, wondering how the hell she was going to shake the hollow off. She shifted her weight to start climbing down and make her way to the class when the branch snapped abruptly and caused her to lose her footing. She fell off the tree. Her back hit some of the lower branches and she attempted to grab at a branch to prevent her from hitting the ground; all she succeeded in doing was banging her hand against the wood. There was a sickening crack as gravity slammed her into the dirt.

The wind was knocked out of her as she hit the ground and her chest was heaving as she gasped for breath. She could hear the commotion over her fall. Orihime and Tatsuki were the first on the scene followed by Ichigo and Chad and then the rest of the gang. Everything seemed to spin around her and go hazy as Rukia tried to get some sense back into her.

Everything was blurry except for Hichigo way off at the sidelines. His grin big, his smirk even bigger. Even over everyone else's calls for help and questions if she was okay, Rukia could hear the hollow clearly over them. "You know, I forgot to tell you," he remarked, "you look pretty cute with that hickey."


	3. Hospitality

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo**

**A/N: God, HichiRuki is my current obsession****. Like ****rockstar1093 said, it's an addictive pairing. I need to update my ByaHisa story. -.-**

**On a side note, I should have done this a LONG time ago:  
THANK YOU, HISANACHAN!! For taking the time to leave lovely comments and reviews for all the chapters of my stories. :3**

* * *

"It's nothing too serious," the school nurse remarked cheerfully, "just a broken bone." Rukia stared at the nurse hotly as she reached down and gently rubbed her ankle to get some feeling back into it; it had gone numb after she hit the ground. "So," the nurse continued, "you're going to be sent home. Kurosaki-san can take you back."

Ichigo nodded tentatively and helped Rukia get to her feet. She limped out of the nurse's office and out to the front of the school to wait while Ichigo retrieved their belongings from the classroom. "I'll give you a piggyback ride so you don't worsen it," Ichigo said. Rukia's face flushed and she politely declined his offer. "It wasn't a suggestion," he stated and kneeled down for her.

"Thank you," Rukia mumbled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ichigo lifted her up easily and began to make his way home.

"I never thought that you'd be the one to fall out of a tree," Ichigo commented. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she replied. "I just lost my footing. If I wasn't in this gigai, I would have been fine!" She rested her head on his back and let out a quiet sigh. "Those guys at the research center made a horrible gigai with easily broken bones."

"From a fall like that, I think even indestructible bones would break," Ichigo commented. "You're lucky you only broke your leg. Dad and Yuzu can take care of you when we get to the clinic."

"_Or maybe I can,_" the hollow whispered.

Ichigo paid no attention to the hollow and continued back to the clinic. He had always suppressed the hollow because the whispering was irritating. But now, Ichigo learned to deal with the whispering and just ignored the hollow completely. Usually, the hollow would just give up, but today, Hichigo was feeling persistent.

"_Hey, King, you have a Queen on your back. How noble of you to take her home," _Hichigo started.

"Hollow, back off," Ichigo answered grumpily to the hollow.

"_She looks a bit heavy for you to carry all the way back to the clinic. Perhaps your horse can help?_" Hichigo offered. He gritted his teeth when the Shinigami ignored him. "_Let _me_ help you carry the Queen,_" he demanded.

"No," Ichigo replied firmly, "I'm fine, Hollow."

"_I have a fucking name!_" Hichigo snapped. That was the last straw. Hollow this, Hollow that. Hichigo hated that. 'Hollow' was a noun, not a name. Hichigo refused be called a general term. Fuming now, he lunged.

* * *

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked, frowning when his reiatsu flared and seemingly altered.

"Hmmm, Queen?" 'Ichigo' asked, looking over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of her.

"Hollow?!" Rukia gasped, letting go of his neck. "Put me down! Put me down now!" Hichigo caught her arm and balanced her on his back to prevent her from falling back and injuring herself even more. "What did you do? What happened to Ichigo?"

"King's hanging around in the inner world. I swapped places with him," He replied gleefully as if it was something she should congratulate him for.

"Hollow, why are you doing this?" Rukia questioned. Her question caused Hichigo to drop her abruptly. She yelped in pain as she landed on her leg. Rubbing it gingerly, the color drained out of her face as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"I. Have. A. Name." he said in choppy sentences. "It's not 'Hollow' alright?" He knelt down so he was face to face with Rukia. "Tell me, Queen, do you even _know_ my name?"

Rukia stared back at him with wide eyes and opened her mouth to speak. "Hichigo," she said shakily.

"Full name," Hichigo demanded. "Come on, Queen, I told you this already."

With a wavering voice, she said, "Hichigo Ogichi Shirosaki."

"Good girl," he purred as he gave her a peck on the lips. "Now let's get you to the clinic." He made a notion for her to get on his back. Glaring at him, Rukia stood her ground, not budging an inch. Hichigo frowned, looking over his shoulder and met her eyes. "What's the matter, your highness?"

"I'm not going back to the clinic with _you_," Rukia replied stubbornly. "I want Ichigo."

"Well, I'm terribly sorry, your highness, but King can't join his Queen and horse at the moment," He replied. "Now get on my back so I can take you back."

Her glare didn't falter. In fact, she forced herself to her feet, despite the pain, and hobbled over to a bench where she plopped down, crossed her legs in a ladylike manner and folded her arms over her chest. "No," she said.

"Aw, don't go moving around with a broken leg. You look like a rabbit hopping with a broken foot," Hichigo remarked as he childishly mimicked her movements. He claimed the empty spot on the bench next to her and kissed her neck. Rukia jerked abruptly and his arms caught her to keep her still. Hichigo's mouth pressed against the bandage she used to cover the hickey he had given her the previous neck. With his tongue, he licked at the corner of the bandage until it came loose. Then he bit onto the corner and pulled it loose off her neck. Rukia suppressed a whimper as Hichigo began to nip at her neck, sucking on her hickey and starting to make a new one.

"St-stop!" Rukia exclaimed in a shaky voice.

"You don't sound very demanding," Hichigo remarked as he turned her head and pressed his lips against hers. He nibbled on her bottom lip gently before pressing his tongue past her lips. The hollow's arms wrapped tightly around Rukia and pressed her close to him. His fingers traced over her soft skin and tangled themselves into her silky raven hair.

"Stop," Rukia whispered as she pulled away, "please."

"As the Queen wishes," Hichigo answered softly as he pulled away and slid off the bench to kneel in front of her. She winced as he carefully lifted her leg onto his knee so he could inspect her leg. "Aw, the nurse is just a sissy," he muttered. "It's probably just a fracture considering that you can hop around like a lame rabbit."

"Hichigo," Rukia started, "why are you...?" She trailed off and averted her gaze instantly.

"Why am I what?" Hichigo asked curiously.

"Nothing," she said, "it's nothing. Take me back to the clinic."

"As my Queen wishes," he said again and knelt down for her to get on his back. Before Rukia could get on, Hichigo stood up, changing his mind. "You know, it's not easy to carry you on my back like that."

"What?" Rukia questioned with a frown. He stepped towards her, slipping an arm beneath her thighs and around her back and abruptly lifted her off the bench bridal style. "Hichigo, what do you think you're doing?!" She reached up, hugging onto his neck. The position made her press up against his chest.

"I'm taking you back to the clinic," He replied, stating the obvious. "And I'm carrying you back. Besides, I like this way better than piggyback. It's because with piggyback, I can't see that charming blush of yours."

Rukia turned away, not wanting to even look at him at this second. He was just... Oh! Unbelievable! How _dare_ he hit on her shamelessly! And what _nerve_ he had to steal kisses from her! And why her? Why couldn't it be somebody else? Hichigo had latched himself onto her, stalking her now and popping up everywhere to tease her and attempt something.

Through Hichigo's point of view, why _not_ her? She was gorgeous, flawless and stubborn. He adored the way she always gasped whenever he popped up and surprised her. He loved the way she resisted and struggled against him whenever he got the chance to kiss her. And he lusted for the soft skin beneath the shihakusho and schoolgirl uniform. Seriously, what was there _not_ to want?

"Well, looks like we're here," Hichigo said to Rukia as he set her down. He tensed, wincing and pulled away from her. "Looks like King wants out, too. I'll see you later, your highness." With that said, he planted a gossamer kiss on her lips and pulled away. Ichigo's familiar reiatsu flared and returned to its original state, leaving Ichigo blank and Rukia dazed and confused.


	4. Rough

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach**

* * *

Ichigo didn't speak to her. He didn't even want to comprehend what had just happened. "Ichigo," Rukia started. Before she could finish her sentence, he stormed off sourly and retreated into bedroom, locking the door behind him. His father banged on the door, begging his son to let him in. As a last resort, Isshin picked the lock and received a fist in the face as a reward for his tactics.

"Hollow, what the hell was that?!" Ichigo snapped as he lay down on his bed, burying his face into his pillow. The hollow usually took over his body in the middle of fights, not on walks home! Hichigo snickered gleefully and refused to respond, even when Zangetsu was dragged into the matters and Ichigo landed in his inner world.

_"Why are you getting so mad at me for having a little fun?"_ Hichigo asked innocently. Ichigo and Zangetsu looked at him unamused as they saw past his act. The hollow pouted. "_I understand why King is mad, but why'd you have to drag the old man into this, too?"_

"Because whatever it is you're doing is making Ichigo unhappy which results in rain," Zangetsu answered.

_"Unhappy?!" _Hichigo snorted, "_it's more like he's mad since I got to play with the Queen first."_

"She's not a queen," Ichigo snapped. "And from what I saw stuck here, she doesn't even like you."

_"She's just in a state of denial,_" the hollow said stubbornly. Then, Ichigo and Hichigo got into a staring/glaring contest for a while. Zangetsu sighed and dissipated into the air, not really in the mood to tolerate such childish behaviors. Finally, Hichigo looked away. _"You should have acted sooner if you wanted her. I'm not going to stop seeing her." _With that said, Hichigo disappeared and Ichigo was shoved out of his inner world.

"Hey, Hollow!" Ichigo shouted. There was no answer. "Hollow!"

Hichigo was now ignoring him. All King ever did was nag, nag, nag. Frankly, Hichigo wasn't in the mood to be nagged at or yelled at. He noticed that most of the time King called for him was to yell at him and then he would be suppressed. Ugh, being suppressed sucked. Hichigo muttered a silent thanks to Shinji and Hiyori for making Ichigo stop the suppression. His thoughts stray to Rukia, the object of his desire. He's got it for her bad and he even think he's starting to grow on her.

* * *

Her leg gets better over the days. Her situation with Hichigo, however, does not. He's there every night she goes out to fight hollows. Ironically, he applauds her every time she successfully breaks its mask. He popped up once when she was in the shower. It didn't exactly go as planned since she gasped from surprise, slipped and ended up hitting her head. Rukia calls him a perverted bastard as blood trickles from her forehead. He bothers her when she has afterschool class duty like sweeping and cleaning the chalkboards. He's careful though, only bothering her when spiritually weak students are there.

"What's the matter, Kuchiki-san?" Orihime asks her one day at lunch. "You seem so tired these days. Doesn't she, Tatsuki-chan?" The other girls nod in agreement.

"Oh, it's nothing really," Rukia answers politely. "Just some small problems."

"Problems? What kind of problems?" Chizuru asks nosily. "Problems at home, health problems or _boy_ problems?" She's about to glomp Orihime again but stops when she sees the look on Tatsuki's face. Instead, she continues to pester Rukia. "Is is Ichigo?"

"Kurosaki-kun is giving you problems?" Orihime asks curiously as she takes words from context.

"No, no," Rukia says as she shakes her head. "Not Ichigo."

"Aha! So it is boy problems!" Chizuru announces. This catches the other girls' attentions, though Ryo pretends she's not interested at all.

"Not Ichigo?" Mahana gasps, "but we all thought you _like_ Ichigo? And now you're telling us there's _another_ guy?!" Michiru snaps at Mahana for being so nosy. "What? I'm sure you'd all want to know, too," Mahana answers. "So who is it? And what's his problem? Too dense and slow? Won't make the first move?"

"More like persistent," Rukia mutters, uncharacteristically. With the way the Hichigo situation was currently, perhaps some advice from actual teenage schoolgirls would be beneficial for her.

"And you've already rejected him already?" Tatsuki asks.

"Yes, and he keeps coming back," Rukia answers, though she does go back and tries to remember if she really has told Hichigo a firm no without whispering and wavering voices.

"Like Chizuru, basically," Tatsuki announces. "Just clobber him every time he makes a move on you. Maybe unlike Chizuru, he'd realize it's a 'no' and he'll stop."

"I think you should just give in. Change in persistence and stubbornness is inevitable," Chizuru says before pouncing on Orihime again. Tatsuki pushes the red head aside and hits her, telling her to die repeatedly.

"Clobber him, huh?" Rukia thinks to herself. "Now why haven't I thought of that before?" Probably because he's Ichigo's alter ego. And because of that, Hichigo would have all of Ichigo's abilities, therefore making him much more powerful than Rukia. And probably because he comes and goes so quickly she doesn't have the time to clobber him. Well, it's worth a try tonight when she goes out to kill hollows.

"Hey, let us know what happens, okay?" Orihime says when Rukia thanks Tatsuki and Mahana for their advice.

* * *

Rukia dreads the sound of her pager going off each night. Not only does she get hit on by lowly hollows, but Hichigo appears and attempts to harass her. She now finds herself praying that it doesn't go off. She had been so thankful when she injured herself and Ichigo offered to take over the hollow killing. The only problem that fixed was the lowly hollows hitting on her, since Hichigo decided to stay behind and keep her company. Lucky for her, she figured out that he left her alone as long as she was with Isshin, Karin or Yuzu.

She snapped out of her thoughts abruptly when the pager beeped loudly. She left a mod soul in her gigai just in case and left the Kurosaki house. The hollow was weak and small, a brand new one, in fact. It was starving and now chasing down a soul of a little boy. Rukia directed the hollow's attention to her and away from the boy who now cowered safely in some hedges.

"I'm so hungry!" the hollow shrieked, high pitched and desperate. It didn't even know what Shinigami were; all it knew was that it was hungry and Rukia was food. It lunged at Rukia. She jumped out of its way, keeping her distance.

"Mae, _Sode no Shirakyuki_!" Rukia shouted, releasing her blade. The hollow cocked its head up towards her, staring at her dumbstruck as she brandished her weapon. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro," she shouted as she jumped towards the hollow and created a circular area around it. Realizing it was in danger, it attempted to escape the white circle it was entrapped in. However, it was too late as _Sode no Shirayuki_'s ability was activated and the hollow was frozen solid and destroyed.

"Well, that was certainly extraordinary," Hichigo remarked, clapping his hands as what was left of the hollow and the first dance dissipated. Rukia retained her calm composure as she turned around and presented herself to him with a stoic expression. "Well, Queen, you certainly know how to decapitate hollows." He started walking towards her with a sick grin and much to his surprise, she began walking towards him as well. "So, Queen, you've finally come through?" he asked when they were face to face.

"Hichigo," she said calmly as she tried her best to be unmoved.

"Queen," he answered with a chuckle as he abruptly grabbed her and attempted to kiss her. However, the moment he touched her shoulder and pulled her close to him, Rukia decked him. Caught off guard, Hichigo stepped back, touched his face gingerly and then laughed maniacally. "Starting to get a little rough, huh?" The thought that she was actually fighting back now turned him on.

"Don't touch me," Rukia said confidently and firmly. "Don't you dare touch me, you idiot."

"Feisty, too?" Hichigo asked with a delusive smile. "Things are certainly getting interesting now that the Queen is in a bad mood." With a flash step, he was right up against her and attempting to grab her and restrain her. Again, she hit him. Rukia struggled against him, stomping on his foot and trying to knee him in the groin. He finally let her go when she nailed him in the gut. Hichigo groaned, keeling over slightly but that smirk didn't leave his face.

Now the twisted bastard was laughing at her! "What's so funny, Shirosaki?" Rukia questioned hotly. She had been tempted to call him 'Hollow' but remembered how that resulted the last time. Her fingers clasped the hilt of her zanpakuto; she was going to hit him with it when he wasn't expecting it.

"I'm sorry," Hichigo answered. "You're just so _cute_ when you fight back." He chuckled again and stood up straight, crossing his arms with a smug look on his face. Rukia flushed at his comment and he walked towards her slowly.

'_Just a little closer now_' Rukia told herself as the distance between herself and Hichigo grew smaller with each step she took. She forced herself to stay put as he reached out slowly, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. '_Don't move, Rukia. Don't flinch_' she thought as she met his gaze boldly. It was a clash of amethyst and gold. She closed her eyes as he lowered his lips onto hers and then she unsheathed _Sode no Shirayuki._ Hichigo sensed her movements, and moved away in time to stop the zanpakuto from plunging into his chest. Rukia succeeded in nicking his white shihakusho.

"What was that for?" Hichigo asked as he looked at his arm. Much to his surprise, she drew blood where she had nicked him. He flaunted his white _Zangetsu_ in time to parry Rukia's _Sode no Shirayuki_.

"You have to back off, Idiot," Rukia snapped as she lunged forward, aiming at his chest. Her attack was blocked and in return, Hichigo hit her hard. Rukia had been sent a few feet back when she tried to parry it. "You need to leave me alone, _Hollow_." Hichigo flinched when she called him that. "Tsugi no mae, Hakuren!" Rukia shouted as she aimed a blast of ice at the hollow.

"Getsuga Tensho," Hichigo hissed as he aimed his own attack directly at Rukia's Hakuren at an attempt to neutralize the attack. However, being much more powerful than Rukia, his attack cut through her own and instead of dissipating and neutralizing, it went straight for Rukia. With a squeak of surprise, she threw herself to the ground to evade the black Getsuga. She was breathing hard, trying to catch her breath as she lay there on the ground. Hichigo's attention diverted from his Queen to the blood splatter on the asphalt. His Getsuga had got her left arm, tearing up her skin and ripping her sleeve from shoulder down. He returned his attention back to her, swallowed hard and then asked, "why?"

Rukia stared at him with a confused expression. "Why what?" she choked out as she reached up to grasp her arm. She knew what he was asking; why did he have to leave her alone? She played dumb to confirm her thoughts. It was odd seeing him like this. His cocky nature was replaced by an uneasy one now. "Hichigo, why what?" she asked more confidently. "I can't answer your question if you don't tell me what you want."

His head jerked as he turned his gaze away from her. "Why do I have to back off?"

Rukia bit her lip as she tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't throw the hollow over the edge and have him kill her. "We can't be together, Hichigo. I'm a Shinigami and you're a hollow. It's not meant to be," she said calmly. "And, you're not the King." Hichigo flinched at hearing that; Rukia figured things out from past conversations. He had always called himself the horse or the servant. He called her the Queen which left the unnamed king which could only be Ichigo.

There was something in her tone as she spoke to Hichigo. Remorse, perhaps? "I don't kill Shinigami and souls to sustain myself," he half protested.

"I know," Rukia answered as she looked down to the ground. "Shirosaki, you need to stop this." She forced herself off the ground slowly. "Please go away," she pleaded desperately. Hichigo was right; he was starting to grow on Rukia, but she refused to admit it.

He paused, hesitation obviously in his tone as he spoke one last word to her and then turned away, disappearing into the night as he retreated into his inner world. "Okay."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I know Hichigo happens to be a little ooc at the end, but it's because I wanted to show that he's not a cocky bastard 24/7 or like other hollows who just want to eat and gorge themselves soul after soul. **

**And to clear further things, NO, Hichigo did not give up on Rukia.**


	5. Acquiesce

**Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo**

* * *

_Silence._

The silence was amazing and Rukia loved it. Everything was peaceful, calm and quiet, the way things were supposed to be. With Ichigo's hollow out of the picture, Rukia could slay hollows quiescently and effortlessly without the distraction of the pale man with the bleach white hair. She no longer needed to be in the constant company of someone with some spiritual pressure so Hichigo wouldn't poof right beside her and harass her. She didn't have to hear that laughter of his, that evil, maniacal chuckle. And she had Tatsuki and Mahana to thank for the silence.

"So, what happened?" Mahana asked nosily the following day at lunch.

"Yes, yes, what happened?" Chizuru asked enthusiastically.

"He's gone," Rukia said in her fake cheerful voice.

"So you hit him?" Tatsuki asked.

Rukia nodded vigorously. "Oh yes. I never would have thought that violence would actually be the answer for once!" she said as innocently as she could. _'Ha, violence is always the answer,'_ she scoffed to herself silently.

The girls chuckled nervously at her odd excitement for abusing the opposite gender. "Well, I'm glad that our advice helped," Mahana said while the others flashed smiles and nodded quickly.

"Leeks and jelly?" Orihime asked, offering said foods to Rukia and the other girls while all at the same time breaking the ice and changing the subject completely.

"No thank you," Rukia said while trying all her best not to let the disgusted expression in Inoue's food choice show.

"So if Kurosaki-kun isn't the boy giving you trouble, who is it then?" Orihime said blankly, asking the question that hadn't been processed by everyone else yet.

"Oh my god, if it isn't Ichigo, then who is it?" Michiru asked with a gaping expression. "You and Ichigo are like an item! It surely isn't Keigo or Mizuiru! Could it be Yasutora or Uryuu?"

"Well, someone is really nosy today," Mahana said hypocritically. "But really, Rukia, tell us who!"

Rukia laughed nervously. "Definitely not Keigo and Uryuu. And for sure, not Chad and Mizuiru." She paused for a moment, and cut off the other girls before they could ask who else there was. "Shiro. His name is Shiro."

"Shiro?" Chizuru repeated. "Who's that? Is he from an older class? Gosh, Kuchiki-san, I didn't know you had a thing for older guys!"

Rukia blushed and looked away. "Shiro doesn't go to this school," she said, using the first excuse that came into her head. "He's, um, a dropout."

"A dropout?!" Mahana nearly screamed. "A rebellious badboy?"

"Well, that explains the persistence," Tatsuki said like she was the only one in the group who didn't lack brains and nerve. "He's desperate and clingy because you're more successful than he is. He holds you close so he can feel secure."

"That actually makes sense," Ryo said, finally joining into the conversation.

"Oh well. He's already gone," Rukia said quickly, trying to change the subject.

"But wouldn't you like for him to come back?" Orihime asked.

"No," Rukia said stubbornly, still trying to change the subject. "So what'd you guys think of that pop quiz?"

"I think I failed," Chizuru answered. "So anyways, this Shiro guy, how'd you two meet? What bases have you gone to already?"

"I met him when I was at the store," Rukia lied. She didn't bother to answer Chizuru's bases question because, even though she didn't want to admit it, she had no idea what the redhead was talking about. She made a mental note to ask Ichigo about 'bases' later.

"It must be nice having somebody fawn over you so desperately," Michiru mumbled.

All the girls shook their heads in disagreement over Michiru's comment, but it was Rukia who started to agree, but quickly shook her head like all the other girls.

* * *

Shockingly, Rukia was actually waiting for that applause after she killed the hollow. She turned around and found herself alone in the streets. She did a double take and stood there in silence. "He's gone! He really is gone!" she said happily.

Ichigo noticed how she was in a good mood the next day. She didn't kick him or insult him and she was cheerful. She didn't even complain to him about having to hunt down hollows in the middle of the night. He also noticed how his inner hollow wasn't persistently annoying him. Rukia in a good mood? A quiet hollow? Ichigo knew that something was definitely wrong.

"Hey Zangetsu, what's wrong with him?" Ichigo asked when he entered his inner world. Zangetsu merely shrugged and didn't complain about the quiet, depressed hollow. "Oi, Hollow!" Ichigo called out, waiting for the hollow to appear.

"What, King?" Hichigo asked through gritted teeth as he was summoned.

"Rukia Kuchiki told him 'no' and he took it a bit hard," Zangetsu finally said.

"Fuck off, Old Man!" Hichigo snapped angrily. "Why do you have to go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?!"

"What?" Ichigo asked with a frown and now obviously confused. "Rukia rejected you when you took over my body?"

"No, he's been appearing and following her out to kill hollows," Zangetsu said which caused both Ichigo and the hollow to scowl.

"Shut up, you old fart!" Hichigo hissed.

"You've been stalking Rukia?!" Ichigo roared at the same time.

"Stalking is such a strong word," Hichigo said as his trademark smirk and grin began to appear. "I prefer 'pursuing.' 'Tracking' maybe?"

"It's the same thing!" Ichigo snapped hotly. "And she rejected you?"

"Stop rubbing salt into the wounds," Hichigo said with an eye roll. "Besides, the Queen's all yours now."

Not appreciating the way Hichigo referred to Rukia like property, Ichigo answered, "she isn't mine. She never even told me you were giving her a problem."

Hichigo chuckled. "A woman like the Queen won't admit something like that. It's her pride; she thinks she can handle everything." Then he looked up at Ichigo. "Are you leaving anytime soon?"

Ichigo frowned. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Good. I could use a sparring partner," Hichigo said. "Three blood and you lose."

Ichigo thought about it for a moment and then agreed. Why not? He had to stay in shape somehow and there wasn't anything relatively interesting going on in Karakura town.

* * *

A month went by happily before Rukia began to sense that something was missing. No, it wasn't Kon's plush body either which Yuzu had swiped when Ichigo was out killing a hollow or when she had been cleaning his room. The mod soul now resided in his pill kept safe in Ichigo's desk drawer. It wasn't Orihime, either, who had disappeared from school for two weeks when she mysteriously came down with mono. And it certainly wasn't the Soul Society when they had stopped sending pages to her phone. It _couldn't_ be Ichigo's stupid hollow. It was a good thing that he was gone. It was a good thing that his bleach white hair and skin was gone as well as the white shihakusho and the steely gold eyes. His kisses and seductive touches were gone just like his inappropriate remarks and comments. In fact, the hickeys he left on Rukia's neck had faded away as well. Weren't all those good things?

To be honest, Rukia wasn't so sure. His kisses were like a drug and resistance was futile since in the end, his lips were always pressed firmly against hers. The company and the attention was a bit nice when she was killing hollows alone at night. She didn't get undivided attention like that from anybody. So was it wrong to appreciate Hichigo? No. Kuchiki or not, Rukia was still human and it was perfectly normal to enjoy attention and adoration from a man, even if said man was a hollow.

But he never harmed her, not intentionally. When they had first met, he did hit her hand, but only to disarm her. He didn't choke her when he grabbed at her neck. Hichigo had prevented Rukia from falling out of a tree. He only dropped her because she called him a hollow, so it was Rukia's fault. And he had even inspected her ankle to see the extent of her injuries. In conclusion, Shiro was harmless.

_'Is it Shiro that's missing?'_ Rukia wondered to herself as she took a walk in her Shinigami form that night. She hesitated and then wondered when she had begun calling him 'Shiro' and not 'Hichigo.' It might have been because Hichigo sounded too similar to Ichigo. She had been so occupied lately and so stressed that she completely forgot to bring her stupid pager with her. At least she could sense them.

As she arrived at a crossroads, a hollow's spiritual pressure filled the air as it was drawn to her own spiritual energy. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki," Rukia said quickly, releasing her zanpakuto and ready to get the whole thing over with. The hollow materialized a few yards away from the crossroads. Its body was a snake's with a spread hood like a cobra and fangs protruding from the mask which seemed to drip with saliva that took form of an acid. Its saliva fell to the asphalt; it melted and bubbled. "Don't touch his fangs and stay away from its saliva," she muttered to herself and decided to use the second dance to keep her distance.

Much to her horror, the hollow had neutralized the hakuren with a spit ball of acidic poison. It coiled up and hissed before dropping to the ground and slithering towards her. She fired off another hakuren but the snake used another spit ball to its defense. "You can't use the same trick twice," the hollow hissed.

Rukia flinched, thinking about how much this hollow reminded her of that damned Ichimaru Gin. She then decided to take her chances and she lunged at the hollow, preparing Sode no Shirayuki's first dance, tsukishiro. The hollow, being much more advanced and sophisticated than the usual scum that appeared in Karakura whiplashed her with its tail before the circle was complete. Rukia hit the ground and scraped her skin and as slid backwards. Her zanpakuto and she were separated and the hollow snapped the sword in half with its tail. "Damn it for being smart," Rukia hissed as she peeled herself off the concrete.

The hollow coiled back and lunged at her. Rukia's eyes widened; there was no time for her to get away or even use kido to defend herself. She let out a dismayed squeak, flinched and closed her eyes. She was waiting for the piercing of skin followed by her body burning from the inside out from the injection of its acidic saliva. Instead, she felt material fluttering against her skin and when she opened her eyes reluctantly, she saw white.

There was Shiro, standing in front of her with his white Zangetsu piercing the hollow's mask. The hollow was already disintegrating into the air and then she noticed its fangs in his arm and the blood trickling down onto the sidewalk. "Hey, Queen," Shiro said as he looked over his shoulder to her. He paid no attention to the wound on his arm which Rukia was staring at intently. He placed the white Zangetsu onto his back and then offered her his hand. Rukia stared at his hand in front of her for a few seconds before reaching out and taking it. His hands were surprisingly warm, and his fingers closed over hers. With a firm grasp, he pulled her off the ground, wincing at the sudden strain he put on his injured arm. He smiled, and managed to smirk while asking, "Shouldn't I get a kiss for thanks?"

"You're hurt," Rukia said, stating the obvious as she didn't let go of his hand right away. She pulled up his blood stained sleeve and started to heal his arm with a kido spell. She did wonder if those kind of spells would hurt him since he was a hollow, but it seemed to work just fine.

"Thanks, Queen," Hichigo said. "I should leave," he said, remembering what she had told him. He turned away and took a step and dragged dead weight with him. Confused, he turned around to see that Rukia didn't let go of his arm and sleeve.

Shiro wasn't a bad person. He was human, more than hollow. "You're right," she murmured, as her grasp shifted from his arm and sleeve to the front of his shihakusho. "Thanks, Shiro," she said and pulled him down hard and abruptly pressed her lips against his.

* * *


	6. Disoriented

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach!**

* * *

_'I've died and gone to Heaven," _Shiro mused to himself as he kissed Rukia back fervently. It was quite odd to have the petite Shinigami be the one coming onto him instead of vice versa, not that he was complaining or anything. He was just happy to be kissing her. He tensed for a second as Rukia's hands slid up his chest. Shiro pressed her closer to him and deepened the kiss.

Abruptly, Rukia pressed her hands on his chest and gave him a firm shove, breaking away from him. She put distance between the two, and kept her back to Shiro. Her fingertips traced over her lips as she breathed heavily. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have," she choked out, horrified and even ashamed by her actions. _She_ kissed _him_ this time; she had been the one to initiate it.

Shiro approached her slowly and tentatively wrapped his strong arms around her delicate frame. He pressed his chest to her back and left butterfly kisses while he inhaled her sweet, addicting scent. He noted that she smelt like vanilla and flowers. "Don't," Shiro whispered into her hair. He didn't want her to apologize.

Rukia's hands rested against his. "Shiro," she whispered, trying to keep her mind off the way his lips felt against her skin or the way his touch sent chills throughout her body. She tried to focus her attention on the flickering streetlight as Shiro moaned her name against her neck in response. "Shiro, I... I need time," she gasped out.

He pulled himself away from her neck and rested his head on her shoulder. "For what, Queen?" he asked curiously. Taking advantage of how close he was to her, he let his hands wander her body.

"I need time to- ah!" Rukia broke off in a gasp as Shiro's hands brushed against her breasts. "Shiro..." She couldn't think straight with him touching her sensually. Liking her reaction to his touches, Shiro went back to kissing her neck. He sucked on her skin, feeling high just by having Rukia close to him and softly whispering his name. "Shiro," she gasped, now pulling his hands off of her body. "Stop, I need time to think!"

"About what?" Shiro asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Us, I need to think about us," Rukia said, pulling away from him. "You're a hollow, Shiro and I'm a Shinigami. We're lifelong enemies. I need to figure out a way for this to work."

"To work?" he replied with a laugh. "And I thought you needed to think about how to get rid of me again." Rukia rolled her eyes and turned away. "Oh come on, Queen, don't be like that," Shiro said, running after her. "At least let me walk you home, 'kay?" he said while offering his arm to her. Rukia looked up at him, sighed, and then slipped her arm through his while leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"Thanks for saving me again," she murmured.

"Anytime, Queen," he answered.

* * *

The raven haired Shinigami watched as the pale hollow dissipated the moment they arrived at the clinic. He kissed her good night and then was gone. She sighed as she silently headed into Karin and Yuzu's room and then merged with her gigai. She lay in her bed for a long time, contemplating the consequences of her relationship with Shiro. It was already bad enough that he was a hollow and she was a Shinigami but there were other things to consider. What would her brother and his noble family say about her scandalous love? What would Ichigo say about her affair with his hollow? But most of all, what was going to happen when Shiro decided he wanted to _eat_ her?

Well, the answer to the latter was obvious; she'd put him down. But wouldn't that result in killing Ichigo as well? And what would happen if Shiro actually succeeded in eating her? Would that mean she'd become a hollow, too? And then they could truly be together forever? Rukia shook her head. The idea of becoming a hollow just for Shiro was reckless thinking and the thought of getting eaten made her change her mind instantly.

"Morning, midget," Ichigo mumbled. Rukia looked at him sleepily that morning and sat down at the table. She mumbled a 'good morning' in response and began to pick at her food. "Oi, what's wrong with you?"

"Didn't sleep well last night," Rukia answered.

"Hollows?" he asked in a hushed voice to make sure his father and sisters didn't hear.

"No, just thinking. It's nothing important, though," she assured him and then finished her breakfast. The two of them walked to school together. Oddly, their walk was silent for once. Usually Ichigo would tease her and she'd hit him for teasing her but today, they walked in silence.

Ichigo looked down at Rukia and noticed how she was calm with a frown on her face. It really looked like she was in deep thought. "Hey, hollow, what did you to her?"

"_I didn't do nothing,"_ Shiro snapped annoyed that he was being accused once again. Shiro noticed it happening more often these days. Whenever Rukia was just a little off, Ichigo would instantly blame Shiro for it.

Ichigo paused for a moment, trying to figure out Shiro's grammatically incorrect sentence. Deciding to just drop it, Ichigo looked back at Rukia who was still silent. "Oi, midget," Ichigo started, "what's wrong with you?"

Rukia's response was a sharp kick in the shin. "I told you not to call me 'midget'!" she hissed and glared at the redhead. "And what do you mean what's wrong with me? I'm perfectly fine," she declared.

"Well now you are," Ichigo replied. When Rukia shot him a questioning glance, he quickly continued. "You're back to normal when we fight, but when we don't, you seem sad," he confessed.

"Sad?" she repeated with a puzzled expression. "I guess I've been thinking a lot lately."

"About?" he asked, trying to pry some answers out of her.

"Stuff," she answered vaguely. "It's nothing that you need to worry about." She paused, questioning the latter statement. She knew that if Ichigo had known about her rendezvous with Shiro almost every night, he'd explode and murder that hollow, a thought that surprisingly scared her. "I'm fine, really," she assured him.

Ichigo paused and then dropped the subject. "Okay, if you say so."

"Kurosaki-kun! Kuchiki-san!" Orihime called out as she shattered their moment of silence. "Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"Inoue," Ichigo said with a nod of acknowledgement.

"Good morning, Orihime," Rukia said pleasantly.

"Oh, Kuchiki-san, how's the guy?" Orihime asked in a hushed voice to Rukia.

Her comment had definitely caught Ichigo's attention. '_Guy? Rukia's been worried about a guy?! What guy?! Renji?'_

"I'll tell you at lunch," Rukia mumbled, knowing that Ichigo had caught on. "Where's Tatsuki?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject.

Orihime said something about Tatsuki going to school early, but her words fell onto deaf ears as Ichigo and Rukia seemed to be thinking about something seriously to even pay attention. For Ichigo, it was who Rukia's mysterious guy was. For Rukia, it was how she was going to tell Ichigo about Shiro and what she would do about her relationship with the latter.

* * *

'_So, the King has the hots for the Queen,'_ Shiro mused as Ichigo stopped paying attention to the teacher.

"I do not," Ichigo retorted to the hollow and aimlessly looked out the window.

_'Sure... whatever you say,'_ the hollow answered while hooting with laughter. _'Better the Queen than that weak bitch.'_

"Inoue?" Ichigo asked, now looking around the classroom. "Since when did you have anything against Inoue?"

_'She's weak! Pathetically weak,'_ Shiro said with a scowl. _'I hate the weak, especially you.'_

"Says the horse," Ichigo said darkly.

'_Touché, King, touché,'_ the hollow said. _'So you and the Queen, huh?'_ he said, for once actually interested in the King's problems. It was probably since his King was developing feelings for _his_ Queen.

"There's nothing between us," Ichigo said defensively. "We're just friends."

_'Good, because she has no interest in you whatsoever,'_ Shiro said bluntly.

"Hey, what makes you say that?!" Ichigo snapped.

_'What does it matter? You said there was nothing between you two,'_ Shiro said with a smirk.

"There isn't," Ichigo answered, annoyed that he had actually fallen for the hollow's bluff. "She and I are just friends," he said, emphasizing on the last word.

The hollow grinned sadistically and then asked, _'does that mean the King doesn't care if I pursue his Queen?'_

Ichigo tensed. "I'd care," he answered seriously.

_'Oh really? The King would care if Queen Rukia-chan was pursued by his servant?'_

"Rukia would kill you before she'd even let you do whatever it is you're planning," Ichigo answered bluntly.

_'That's what you think...'_ the hollow hissed. His words fell on silent ears as Ichigo was prompted by his teacher to read aloud to the class. Shiro glared at his King darkly and retreated deep into the inner world. He started his whispering once more as Ichigo read aloud to the class. His words were incoherent and Ichigo couldn't make anything out except for the occasional, _'Damn you, King!'_

_'Just you wait, King,'_ Shiro said with a noxious growl. _'I'll make the Queen fall for me. Just you wait.'_

Ichigo abruptly stopped reading as he heard his hollow's words. "What did you just say?" he questioned aloud.

"I didn't say anything, Kurosaki," his teacher replied with a frown. Ichigo looked up at her with a puzzled expression, realizing what he just said. His teacher only laughed. "Sit down, Kurosaki. Why don't you read next, Kuchiki?"

Ichigo sat down and watched Rukia fumble with her book. Obviously, she had been doodling bunnies in her notebook and not paying attention. With poise, she stood up straight and picked up where he left off. He was surprised that his hollow wasn't laughing at him for his earlier stunt. Shiro was actually silent, listening to Rukia read and looking at her through Ichigo's eyes. He was captivated by her, and so was Ichigo.

* * *

When the two returned home, Rukia retreated into Ichigo's room to finish homework and study while Ichigo was helping Isshin and Yuzu out. Karin was lazily sprawled out on the couch, watching the latest episode of _Spontaneous Trips to Spiritual Hot Spots_ starring Don Kanonji.

"I can't believe I'm doing homework for once," Rukia said with a sigh as she could hear Isshin yelling 'Bohahaha!' followed by Karin telling him to shut up. She returned to the math equation she was solving. She hated math, she hated school, she hated work, and ironically, it seemed that doing work that involved writing and answering questions seemed to calm her nerves. Perhaps it was because her mind was occupied on other things.

As Rukia busily solved her math equations, she heard the door to Ichigo's room open. She offered a quick glance over the shoulder, confirmed it was Ichigo, and went back to working. "What?" she snapped, impatiently when she could feel him hovering over her and watching her every move. Her nerves were getting riled again and she didn't like it. "Ichigo, I'm studying, Just get what you want and go away," she said firmly.

"Did you ever notice how the word 'studying' is the word 'student' and 'dying' combined?" _Ichigo_ asked amusedly.

Rukia tensed and instantly turned around. _Ichigo_'s eyes were the color of beaten gold which only meant that it was no longer Ichigo in control. "Shiro, what are you doing taking over Ichigo like this?" Rukia interrogated. "When did you take control and did his family notice?"

"Calm down, Queen," Shiro replied. "I'm not careless," he stated before answering all the questions she had bombarded him with. "I took over the body when King fell asleep on the couch watching that ridiculous show, and his family didn't notice a single thing."

"Okay, good," Rukia said with a sigh, calming down a little bit.

It was only for a second though, since she tensed as she felt Shiro slide his arms around her waist and trapping her in between, the desk, chair and his body. She felt the gentle pressure as Shiro kissed her hair. Rukia forced herself to calm down and gripped the chair's arms tightly as she tried to relax against him. Shiro skimmed his fingers up her arm and over her cheek and jaw where he gently tilted her face so he could press his lips against hers. He kissed her intensely like the first time they had spoken, yet leisurely like the kiss he stole from her in the tree.

"I want you," Shiro said as he sucked on her bottom lip. "I want you to be mine, Queen, and not the King's."

"I belong to no one," Rukia answered, not liking the fact that she was being treated as property, a trophy for the top man.

"Not when I'm through with you," Shiro hissed lustfully as he kissed her passionately. He desperately wanted to make Rukia his Queen. He was trying to kiss an answer out of Rukia. He was forcing her to decide whether or not she'd get involved with a hollow.

Rukia pulled away from him and pressed a delicate finger against his lips to silence him. "I did a lot of thinking," she said seriously. Shiro waited for her to finish. It was torture, the way she paused dramatically before continuing. "I want to be with you," she said. Before she let him rejoice that she was going to be his, she added a catch. "It has to be a secret." Her fingertip traced over his lips slowly. "You can't tell Ichigo or any of your hollow friends. It has to be a secret between us. Deal?"

Shiro smirked and pulled her hand away from his face. "Deal."

Rukia grabbed him by the front of his shirt and kissed him sensually. Shiro, high off of her scent and touches, kissed her back with equal fervor and passion. Both were too caught up in the moment to notice Kon eavesdropping and spying from underneath Ichigo's bed.


	7. Reticent

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach!**

* * *

The sharp rapping on his door roused Ichigo from his sleep. He groaned softly and shifted. He abruptly jerked awake as his body teetered on the edge of his bed. He was disoriented and very confused. "I could have sworn I fell asleep on the couch," he mumbled to himself as he got up. He shrugged it off and headed downstairs to join his family for dinner.

"Come and eat, my dear children!" Isshin exclaimed as Ichigo sat down by Yuzu. Ichigo rolled his eyes, ignoring the fact that his father _still_ referred to Rukia as his 'beloved third daughter.' Isshin happily circled the table, setting down dinner for all of his 'children.'

Ichigo ate in silence, listening in on some mindless chatter between Rukia and his sisters while Isshin made subtle gestures for Ichigo to get with Rukia. At times like this, he was glad that Rukia never understood Isshin's dirty comments. Sometimes, his dad was just too much. Ichigo sometimes wondered if Rukia did understand the gist of his comments and was just too embarrassed to comment on it. If anything, Isshin was pretty obvious.

His hollow seemed to be back to normal with his usual taunting and threats to take over completely. _'Just you wait, King! I'll be the one wearing the crown soon enough!'_ Shiro said cynically. _'You're mine, King!'_

"Go away," Ichigo growled to the hollow. "It's already been proven that _I'm_ King and _you're_ the horse. It's not changing anytime soon." Ichigo shut out the hollow's thoughts and began picking at his food. Isshin continued making subtle comments, Karin continued telling Isshin to die and come back as a decent human being, and the hollow kept his whispering. Fed up, Ichigo excused himself, taking his plate to the kitchen and then jogging up the stairs.

The moment he opens his room door, he is attacked by a flying stuffed animal. "HOW DARE YOU DRAPE YOUR HANDS OVER MY PRECIOUS NEE-SAN?!" Kon shrieks as he latches himself onto Ichigo's face.

Ichigo growls in frustration and rips the mod soul off his face and carelessly tossed him to the floor. "What the hell are you talking about?!" he hissed.

Kon picked himself off the ground while mumbling something about loose stuffing. "Don't lie to me!" he said accusingly. "I saw you with my Nee-san!" With stubby legs, he ran over to the chair by Ichigo's desk and climbed up on it. "She was sitting right here and you came and... and..." Kon never finished his sentence as he dramatically burst into tears. "How could you, Ichigo?!"

Ichigo stared at him with a confused look and repeated his same question. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Inside his mind, Shiro was absolutely silent. His face was twisted into a mortified expression. _'How the hell did I forget about the fucking stuffed animal?!'_ Shiro wondered to himself. He had just gotten his Queen finally and now he was going to lose her because Kon witnessed what had happened?! _'Fuck my life.'_

Kon was now jumping up and down on Ichigo's desk. "What sort of behemoth possessed you to do that to my darling Rukia?!"

"I don't know," Ichigo responded. "Maybe I'd know if you'd actually _tell_ me what happened."

Kon ignored his saucy comment and continued on with his expressive speech and words. "You've tainted my Nee-san with your... your... touch!"

_'Shut up, you stupid mod soul,'_ Shiro hissed.

"What have you been on?" Ichigo asked blankly as he swept the stuffed animal off his desk and onto the floor. "Rukia and I are just friends. We don't do anything besides go to school and reap hollows."

"But you – urgh!" Kon was abruptly cut off by Rukia stomping on his face. "Nee-san..." he said, his voice muffled by her foot.

"I can hear you two shouting from down the hall," Rukia said. "Quiet down, will you? You're not the only people living in this house. Your family will think you're insane that you're talking to a stuffed animal."

"I'm pretty sure they think I'm already insane," Ichigo muttered under his breath. He watched Rukia as she picked up Kon and tossed him into the closet. He squeaked as he hit the wall with a thud.

"Be careful with me! My stuffing's coming out," he said with a pout as he looked at his arm. White cotton was poking out from a tear.

"We'll get Ishida to sew you up tomorrow," Rukia assured him.

"NO!" Kon exclaimed and turned around to show them the blue cross on the back of his head. "Four-eyes is going to put another Quincy mark on me!"

"It's either Ishida or Yuzu," Ichigo muttered. Kon instantly ate his words and accepted to be fixed by Ishida.

As Rukia left the room, she and Shiro had the same thought going through their heads, "That was a close one..."

* * *

"You're lucky that Kon has a bad memory," Rukia hissed as he poked Shiro's chest with her finger. "And you're also lucky that Ichigo doesn't believe a word Kon usually says. Oh, and you're even lucky that Kon is an idiot!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm a lucky hollow," Shiro said through gritted teeth. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he said, "You should kiss me since I'm so lucky. Maybe some of my luck will rub off onto you."

"Oh no, no way," Rukia said firmly. "What if Kon is still around? Or even Kisuke Urahara?! I'm not risking it."

"You're already risking it by standing out in the open with me," Shiro pointed out.

"Well, your spiritual pressure attracts hollows here which makes it easier for me to kill them," Rukia answered, making an excuse for why she tolerated his company at the moment.

"So you're using me, huh?" Shiro inquired. "Well, my services aren't for free. It costs a kiss if you were wondering. And not just some peck on the cheek."

"I'll give it to you after I kill the hollow. How's that sound?" Rukia bargained. "That's fair, isn't it? I kill the hollow and you get all my attention on the way back to the house."

Shiro pondered the thought for a moment and broke into a wide grin. "Yeah, that sounds fair." He smirked at Rukia and willed for a hollow to appear so that he could have his Queen. "So where's the hollow?"

Rukia shrugged and answered, "I don't know, Shiro, but if no hollow appears, you don't get anything from me."

"That's not really fair," Shiro protested. "You're still using me, so I should get some form of compensation from you."

"We'll talk about it later," Rukia chirped and waited patiently for a hollow to show up. "Are you sure you haven't sealed your spiritual pressure?"

"The King _can't_ seal his spiritual pressure," Shiro replied tartly, "which means that I can't either. There are no hollows tonight."

"There _can't_ be no hollows tonight," Rukia snapped. "There's always hollows in Karakura, especially if there's a lot of spiritual energy i.e. you."

"Come on, Queen, let's just go home," Shiro whined. "I'm bored and there's no point in being here if I'm not going to get any action. Besides, you're phone isn't even going off."

Rukia shot him a glare and pulled her spirit phone from her robes to confirm that there were actually no hollows. She frowned, seeing that there _were_ hollows around, but none of them was heading towards Shiro and her at all. Then it clicked. "You're scaring them away," she said accusingly.

"Am not," Shiro retorted. "Don't go blaming this on me."

"It _is_ your fault. You're spiritual pressure is a hollow's, not a Shinigami. That's why the hollows aren't appearing. They probably think you're going to eat them like a Menos would," she said with her hands on her hips.

"Does this mean I don't get my kiss?" Shiro asked, feigning cluelessness and innocence. "I just did what you told me to, which was to sit around and be bait for hollows. And I _really_ want that kiss."

"You're not getting it," Rukia said firmly. "I have to kill hollows so Ichigo can get a decent night's sleep so he can almost have a normal life."

"Everything's always about the King," Shiro growled and roughly seized Rukia by the arm. "Forget the King," he said in a soft hiss and pressed his lips against hers. Grasping her tightly, he lifted her up. Not wanting to fall, Rukia wrapped her legs around him and clung to his broad shoulders. "Kiss me back," he ordered in a husky voice and began biting at her bottom lip sensually. She obeyed and kissed him fervently. His tongue gently flicked at her lips asking for entrance. Rukia parted her mouth and let her tongue entwine with Shiro's as he kissed her deeply.

Shiro was the first to break away. He instantly moved to Rukia's neck as she gasped for breath. Shiro kissed her throat and collar bone. With his nose, he nudged her shihakusho out of the way as he kissed her shoulder. Her robes fell off one shoulder and he took advantage of that notion by leaving a series of love bites on her shoulder. Rukia moaned his name softly as her fingers aimlessly drew patterns on his back.

Timidly, Rukia tilted her head and kissed Shiro's neck in an attempt to recreate the feelings he made her feel. Shiro shuddered as if he was doused by cold water. Her teeth gently scraped against his neck in a sensual way that made chills go down his spine. She bit him gently and sucked on his skin until she left a mark of her own.

Shiro pulled her away from his neck and crushed his lips against hers. There was a light _thunk_ and Rukia jerked away from Shiro. "Ow..." the hollow complained and looked at Rukia laughing at him. Her laugh was sweet and almost like bells. "Did I just bump teeth with you?" he asked, slightly disoriented. His question only made her laugh harder which confirmed his theory. "How come you're not moaning in pain?" he nearly snapped.

"I am in pain," she answered. "But I'm laughing too hard to be bothered by it." He shot her a nasty glare and loosened her legs around his waist so she could get back onto the ground. "Don't be mad," Rukia said, noticing his glare. "It's about time you did something wrong. I mean, I can't compete with your kisses." His glare faltered; at least she knew how to give him an ego boost.

* * *

Shiro's blissful mood was ruined when the King entered his inner world. "What did Kon see?" Ichigo demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shiro said lazily with a shrug. "What does it matter if an idiot stuffed animal sees something?"

"Because he saw you and Rukia," Ichigo answered. "Kon may be an idiot, but I'm not."

"Course you're not," the hollow answered. "If you were, I would have been King by now."

"You're avoiding the question," Ichigo stated. "What is going on between you and Rukia?"

"Why does it matter? I thought you said you had no feelings for the Queen," Shiro said, continuing to evade the King's prying questions. He paused for a second, and then said, "But you really do have feelings."

"You wouldn't know," Ichigo snapped. "What did you do to Rukia?!"

"But I would know, after all, I _am_ you. I have feelings for the Queen which means you do too. But the Queen is _mine_ if you've forgotten," Shiro said harshly. "And I didn't do anything to the Queen. She's fine if you haven't noticed."

"Did you kiss her?" Ichigo questioned seriously, withdrawing Zangetsu and pointing at the hollow.

"All's fair in love and war," Shiro said with a sigh. He smirked as he looked at the King brashly threatening him with Zangetsu. "Look what jealousy does to people..." he murmured.

"Stay away from Rukia," Ichigo snarled. "It's bad enough that you torment me every single day, but Rukia doesn't deserve that. Leave her alone."

"Or else?" the hollow baited.

"Or else I'll make you, and rip you to shreds until the _real_ Zangetsu is in full control," he hissed.

"Ooh, so scary," Shiro yawned. "Good luck with that, King."

"Did you kiss her?" Ichigo questioned once more. "Answer me, Hollow, did you kiss Rukia?"

Shiro's smirk grew wider and more sadistic. "Oh, King, I did _more_ than just kiss her. What are you going to do about it, huh? Tell me, King, what now?"

Ichigo's voice was caught in his throat. He opened his mouth to answer with a witty retort but nothing came out. For the first time in a long while, Ichigo had no idea what he was going to do.


	8. Overthrown

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach!**

**Some mild lemony content!**

* * *

"If I had known that all I needed to do was to make you emotional in order to become 'King', I would have pursued the Queen a long time ago," Shiro sneered as he easily deflected a jab to the chest from Ichigo's black Zangetsu. "You're weak!"

"Bastard, shut up!" Ichigo roared as he tried to slash the hollow's shoulder. Shiro easily dodged Ichigo's poor attempts and laughed as he countered an attack.

Shiro laughed with a glint of insanity in his eyes. "You're weak. You're pathetic!" he taunted as he dodged Ichigo's slashes. "You're so predictable when you're emotionally distraught." Cackling, he swiped at Ichigo and drew a long jagged wound across his chest.

Stumbling back, Ichigo coughed up a mouthful of blood. Staggering, he pointed his sword at the hollow. He grasped at his shaky arm as Zangetsu's hilt guard coiled around him. Shiro smirked and mirrored every one of Ichigo's movements. "Bankai!" they both shouted as their spiritual pressures intensified.

With a burst of energy, Ichigo lunged forward at the Shiro, trying to cut him to ribbons. Dodging his attacks, Shiro congratulated Ichigo for finding his new killer instinct. "Can't take a little rejection, huh?" Shiro teased, spinning Zangetsu by its chain.

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo shouted, firing off his spiritual energy at the hollow. Shiro easily deflected it with his hand and then shot towards him. Ichigo brought his sword up to defend himself. After their swords clashed, Shiro leaned forward with a grin instead of pulling back. "Hey, King," he drawled. "Remember when I told you that I'd crush your skull if I ever saw the opening?"

Ichigo frowned at his words. "Yes, I remember," he said stiffly.

"Good, cause that time is now," he declared and thrust his sword into Ichigo. He smiled triumphantly as he felt his sword pierce flesh and heard Ichigo choke out a gasp. Ichigo's gaze fell to the blade protruding from his chest and watched in horror as white began spreading over his body, seeping into his black uniform and transforming it white as well. Ichigo's grasp loosened on his sword and it fell away.

"Stay away from Rukia," Ichigo stuttered as he tried to form words. "Leave her alone."

"How noble of you. Still thinking about your girl with a dying breath," Shiro spat. "But it's a request fallen onto deaf ears. I'm not leaving her. She'll be the death of us one day."

"Us?" Ichigo repeated. A muscle in his jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth. "What do you mean _us_?" he demanded, each word a strain to form.

"You're emotionally distraught, Horse," Shiro replied. "And you claim to love her, don't you? Your feelings for her will lead you to your death, which kills me, too," he said simply.

It hurt to speak, but through sheer willpower, Ichigo forced every word to come out. "You don't love her at all. This all is just some sick obsession to stay alive."

"I guess you could say that," he replied. "Honestly, I don't really know what it is I feel for her. Maybe these aren't my own emotions, but yours. Yours that carried over onto me. Therefore I feel what you feel." He laughed for a second. "See, I noticed how you've been so attached to her. Maybe a bit _too_ attached and that's when I knew she'd be the cause of your downfall."

Ichigo's eyelids felt heavy as he struggled to stay awake. Chills ran through his body, spreading all over like the white had, taking him over completely. "Bastard," he gasped, as his shaky hands reached up and grasped Shiro by the front of his uniform."So you used her to overthrow me?" His strength was disappearing as was his spiritual body.

"Sure, let's just go with that," the hollow replied with a smug look.

"Leave her alone," Ichigo whispered. "Don't hurt her."

Shiro smirked and then pushed his sword deeper into Ichigo until the hilt was pressed against his chest and the blade had clearly gone through his body. "You no longer have a say in these matters," he stated harshly as Ichigo took a strangled breath. It was followed by a gurgling sound as the former-king choked on his own blood. "Looks like I'm King now," Shiro said and then yanked his sword out of Ichigo and watched in triumph as he dissipated. Victory was finally his.

* * *

When Shiro left the inner world, he was pleased to find himself regaining consciousness in Ichigo's body. Well, it was his now. He carefully examined himself in the mirror and noted a few subtle, minor changes. His skin seemed a little paler and his eyes were molten gold instead of Ichigo's original soft brown. Quite satisfied, the hollow decided to go claim his 'prize'.

He slid the closet door open and pulled Rukia out. Before she could protest, he kissed her roughly and shoved her against the wall. He bit at her lips, ignoring her muffled gasps. She attempted to push him away by the shoulder, but he thwarted her efforts by grasping her wrists and pinning them. His fingers twined with hers as he continued to kiss her roughly.

"Ichigo?" she gasped, uncertainly. Something was seriously off and she just couldn't place her finger on it.

"Do I _look_ like Ichigo to you?" he drawled, pulling away and stared into her eyes.

"Shiro," Rukia said after recognizing his gold eyes. "What's going on?" she demanded, twisting her arms in an attempt to get free. Shiro didn't let go and twining his fingers firmly with hers. "Let me go," she hissed. The hollow did not comply and kissed her again to cut off her protests. As his tongue slid into her mouth, Rukia bit down hard and winced as she tasted his blood and felt him pull away. "What's going on?" she demanded once more.

Shiro leaned forward and kissed her neck. "Ichigo's no longer in control. I'm the King now," the hollow whispered harshly against her skin and then bit down on her throat. Rukia flinched in pain and felt the warm trickle of blood running down her neck.

"What is wrong with you?!" Rukia hissed, twisting her hands out of his grasp. She then shoved him off and stepped away to put a safe distance between them. Reaching up, she pressed her hand against her bleeding neck.

Shiro stuck his tongue out playfully at Rukia. "You bit me first. It's only fair that I get to bite you back. But to be honest, I'm not really partial to biting."

"You're fretting over your tongue?" she inquired. "Next time, I'm biting it off. Now what do you mean Ichigo is no longer in control. What happened to him?"

"Stabbed him and took control," Shiro answered casually. "I guess you could say that we switched places on a more permanent basis." Seeing that her frown still lingered on her pretty face, Shiro felt obliged to continue explaining. "Well, I'm the King so I'm in control. This is my body and Ichigo? Well, he's just sitting in the back of my mind where I used to be. Of course he can try and take me over like I did to him, but I actually put up a good fight so he might not be able to come back."

Rukia looked horrified at hearing this. "Ichigo is gone?" It was hard to believe that the strawberry who had taken on the Soul Society for her had been defeated by his hollow. "It can't be true."

"Well it is, sweetheart," Shiro sneered as he seized her by the arm and pulled her against him. "I'm the King now. Wasn't that what you wanted?"

"No. No, that's not what I wanted at all," Rukia said, somewhat horrified that the hollow went as far as taking over Ichigo just to please her. "Shiro, what have you done?" she whispered into his shirt.

"I did this all for you," he stated as he embraced her. "I did it so we could be together. Isn't this what we wanted, Queen?"

"Not at the expense of Ichigo losing his will!" Rukia answered, trying to pull away from him. "Shiro, this isn't right!"

"Don't play the morality card," Shiro snarled, tightening his grasp on her. "This is a win-win situation for both of us. I get to be the King like I always should have been and you and I can finally be together."

"But Ichigo? What about him? He doesn't benefit from this situation at all. Shiro, he's lost control on his own body," Rukia protested. Her Ichigo, her darling Ichigo, was gone. It couldn't be right. She twisted violently in his grasp as she tried to break free.

"What's done is done," he snapped, restraining her against him. "If you've forgotten, I used to be in his place. Did you feel no pity for me when I was trapped within Ichigo?" He kissed her hard before she could reply. The hollow caught her bottom lip between his teeth and bit down, savoring the taste of her blood. "It's just like our situation before only I'm the one in control now," he told her. "It's really no different. Ichigo still exists; he's just this little annoying presence buzzing in the back of my head."

"Could Ichigo ever regain control...?" Rukia asked. Her voice was soft and shaky showing Shiro that she was uncertain and wistful. "Is he gone forever?"

"I could make him gone forever," he offered. "I'll do it if that's what you want."

"No, I just want you to answer my question," Rukia replied. "Is he gone forever, Shiro?"

"No, he's not. He can take back control if I let my guard down for even a second," he said seriously. "But he's not coming back. I won't give him that opening. It's not going back to the way it used to be. I've worked too hard to lose everything now; I won't let it happen."

Shiro's seriousness was starting to scare Rukia. She tried to back away from him, but he held her in place. "Shiro," she murmured, wincing as his grasp tightened. If he kept up the rough treatment, she was going to end up with bruises. "Let me go," she ordered and stomped onto his foot. "I don't like this."

"You'll get used to it," the hollow answered, wrapping an arm around her waist and sweeping her off her feet literally. Smirking, Shiro set her onto his bed and then pinned her down with his body. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against hers and let his fingers trail down her side and then back up until they came to a stopping point at her chest. Keeping his lips locked with hers and her body pinned down, he began rubbing her breast through her pajama shirt. With his knee, he nudged her legs apart and let one hand wander down to the apex of her thigh. Rukia turned her head to break the kiss and squeezed her eyes shut as Shiro's fingers slid under her shirt and tweaked a nipple teasingly. She bit her lips as she could feel the aching peak harden at his fingertips.

"Stop," Rukia said, her voice barely above a faint whisper. He flat out ignored her and continued torturing her with his light touches. He began to unbutton her shirt and brought his lips down against her skin, kissing it as it was exposed. His hand at her leg moved up until it gently rubbed against her warmth. A soft moan escaped her lips as his mouth closed over a nipple. "Stop," she stammered once more. Her weak protest was followed by another gasp and a moan as Shiro slid a finger inside of her.

"Tell me you love me," he whispered against her flushed skin. It was cruel. Not only did he look like Ichigo, he _sounded_ like Ichigo, too.

"I love you," she answered, unsure who she was confessing her love to. _'Am I in love with Ichigo...? Or is it Shiro?' _

"Say my name," he whispered once more. "And tell me you love me."

"I love you," she paused, unable to say either of their names. "I love both of you."

She felt Shiro tense and then pull away from her. "Come again?" Sitting up, she quickly buttoned her shirt and looked away from him. She definitely just ruined the mood. "Come again?" he repeated.

"I love you and Ichigo. I love the both of you," Rukia stammered, wondering what sort of situation she had just put herself into. She hated how she was torn between the two of them, especially since only one of them had shown her some affection.

"Then who do you love more?" the hollow prodded, trying to see where her heart lay.

"Who do I love more?" Rukia repeated with a frown. "What kind of question is that? Are you that insecure?"

"Quit deflecting," Shiro snapped. "Who do you love more?"

"I don't know," she answered quickly. She got out of his bed and headed to his doorway. "I love you and Ichigo. Why can't I love you both?" Rukia asked softly as she paused for a moment. Turning away, she quietly made her way to Karin and Yuzu's room.

Shiro lay in silence for several minutes before softly answering her question. "Because I can't hold a candle against him when it comes to competing for your heart."


	9. Drag

**AN: I fail at updating… I'm soooo sorry .**

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo!**

* * *

Despite the fact that he stood no chance, Shiro still tried to win Rukia's heart for his own. He tried to please her and make her smile every day. But there was always _something_ in her eyes that told him she was not his for the keeping.

"She'll never be yours," Ichigo's words quietly echoed through his mind.

Shiro was much surprised to see the former-king was not fussy in the inner world. He was quiet, only making a few soft comments every now and then. "You don't know what you're talking about," Shiro sneered.

"I know her better than you," Ichigo answered simply.

To his chagrin, he knew that Ichigo was right. In his poor attempts at pleasing his Queen, he was missing the little details, like her favorite flavor of ice cream, her favorite flower and even her favorite color. To protect his pride, the hollow changed the subject and in a mocking tone said, "If you're waiting for an opening to take back control, it's a lost cause. I won't be as underestimated."

"You haven't won yet," Ichigo remarked quietly. It unnerved the hollow that Ichigo was so calm and he was getting frustrated by the former-king's stoic façade.

"We'll see about that," Shiro laughed, trying to sound confident.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, seeing right through the hollow and sensing his uneasiness. "Is that so?" he asked curiously with not even a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Yes, that is so," Shiro hissed, really upset by the other self's calm nature. "Why aren't you fighting back?" he demanded.

"There's no need to," he said calmly. "I'd be wasting energy and time," he said simply.

Shiro cocked an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You haven't won yet," Ichigo stated again. "You're never going to win. You're disillusioned."

"Disillusioned?" Shiro snorted. "Enlighten me, Kurosaki. How am I disillusioned?"

"All you've ever wanted was to be King and to have Rukia as your Queen. You have all that now, but it's not what you've imagined it to be, is it? Rukia, she's not yours," Ichigo said. He paused for a moment and then softly added, "She's mine. She's always been mine."

"Yours?" Shiro snorted again. "I think you're the one who's disillusioned. Rukia's been mine from the start. She doesn't love you."

"I think she pities you," Ichigo said quietly. "She's always had a soft spot for people like you."

"People like me?" Shiro repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo was really starting to piss him off now.

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, you know… You've never really had a chance in life. You've been living in my shadow ever since Urahara woke you up. She feels bad for people who have had their freedom of life ripped away. You practically have no identity. You're just _me_."

"Are you implying that Rukia loves me only because I bear a strong resemblance to _you_?" the hollow questioned. "Is that what you're saying?"

Ichigo looked at him a bit startled by that revelation. "No, I wasn't saying that at all."

"You're lying," the hollow hissed. "I'm not you. I'm not weak like you. I'm stronger."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're disillusioned," Ichigo said, bringing up that 'disillusionment' crap up again. "It's not what you imagined, is it?"

"It's everything I ever wanted and more," Shiro said smugly.

"You're lying," Ichigo said. "Rukia's not herself anymore, is she? I can see through your eyes, you know. She's changed. She's not her usual self."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Personally, I think you're the disillusioned one," Shiro said stubbornly and then shut his other self out.

No, this couldn't be right. He could not let Ichigo win. Sure, Rukia had been a bit moody lately, but she'd be back to her normal self, right? Ichigo's words still bothered him though, and the conclusion he had come to. "I'm not a replacement," he muttered to himself again and again. The thought that Rukia loved him only because he resembled her beloved Strawberry was crushing and made rage surge through him. No, it wasn't right. It was just Ichigo screwing around with him.

Desperate to be proven wrong, he sought out Rukia. "Hey, Queen," he said, catching her attention. She looked up at him curiously from some manga she was reading. He suppressed a wince, noticing how her lovely eyes lost its vibrancy. "Let's go for a walk."

Without a word, she set down her book and followed obediently. "Not in your gigai," Shiro added quickly. "In case a hollow appears," he finished, not wanting to draw suspicion.

"Of course," she said softly, taking one of her soul candy pills. Shiro followed suit, but left his body unconscious without a temporary soul. The last thing he needed was for Kon to mess up his plans again.

He offered his arm to her like always, and Rukia quietly accepted. "I noticed you've been depressed lately," he said, trying to start a conversation.

"Have I? I don't mean to. I've just been a little dazed lately," she said. "It's different without Ichigo around."

Shiro tensed, but Rukia didn't seem to notice. "Ichigo sends his regards," he said coldly. "You know he doesn't care about you, right? Not as much as I do, anyways," he said, trying to get her to react to his words and prove that Ichigo was wrong all along. He couldn't bear it if his beloved Queen chose Ichigo over him.

"Oh really?" she asked. Her voice had no emotion and it was like she wasn't even listening to him. "You care?" she asked, blinking. "I always thought you liked me only because Ichigo liked me. You're him, aren't you? Or at least a part of him?"

That was the last straw. He couldn't have _her_ comparing him to the stupid Strawberry. Shiro then snapped. "What's the matter with you?" Shiro demanded as he seized her by her shoulders. "I'm sick of you moping around all depressed. Spit it out. What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," Rukia answered, trying to sound convincing. Her eyes betrayed her emotions to him and Shiro growled in frustration. "It's nothing you have to worry about," she then added, hoping to get him off her case.

Shiro looked at her disbelievingly and then questioned for his own sake, "Do you love me?"

"Of course," Rukia replied, sensing his insecurity. "I love you, Shiro."

"So look at me and say it then," the hollow demanded.

Slowly Rukia craned her head until she had his eyes locked with hers. "I love you."

"Say it like you mean it."

"I just did," she said firmly, unsure where all this insecurity was coming from.

"No, you didn't," the hollow stated.

"What is wrong with you?" Rukia questioned, changing the subject. "If this is about Ichigo..."

"He's not coming back!" Shiro shouted abruptly and cut her off. "He's not coming back. I won't let him come back. Don't make this about Ichigo."

Rukia stared at him, taken back by his vocal response. "Shiro, calm down," she said softly, trying to get him to relax. "Is Ichigo bothering you? Is that what's troubling you?" She slowly reached for his hand and twined her fingers with his. She held back a yelp as Shiro grasped her hand tightly instead of giving her a small loving squeeze. Something was wrong. He was too tense and stiff. "Shiro," she said, trying to get his attention.

"You don't love him, right? I know you said you loved us both, but you love me more now, right?" Shiro said quickly, letting the words tumble out of his mouth. He would not let Ichigo win this one.

"I love you both," Rukia said, now trying to get him to let go of her hand.

"No, you have to pick one of us," Shiro snapped, knowing that Ichigo probably had a knowing smirk on his face. Ichigo would _not_ win this time. "Pick one, damn it! You can't have the both of us!"

"Ichigo," Rukia said as quietly as possible.

Shiro just about snapped, hearing her soft, honest response and then Ichigo's laugh of victory. "No, you can't love him. How dare you?" he said, seizing her by the arm.

Rukia yelped, and tried to free her arm from his grasp. "You told me to pick someone!" she protested. "The real Ichigo, the original Ichigo… He'll never be mine, but you're the closest thing I have to him," she whispered truthfully. She yelped again when his grasp on her arm tightened. "Shiro! I love you too! With time, I could love you more than him! Isn't that enough?"

"No! That's not enough! I can't be second to him anymore!" he growled as his grasp on reality began to slip. "I just need to come in first for once!" He pulled her against him and harshly demanded for her to tell him that she loved him and _only _him.

"I can't, that would be a lie," Rukia said miserably. "I can't lie to you. I _won't_ lie to you."

"Then say that you love him," he said coldly.

"What?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Say it!"

"I love Ichigo," she whispered, trying to free herself from his grasp.

"LOUDER!" he roared.

"Please, Shiro, don't," Rukia pleaded. She gasped suddenly when he let her go and seized her throat, lifting her a few inches off the ground. "I love Ichigo! I love him, okay? Please, Shiro, let go."

"Ichigo Kurosaki is gone!" Shiro shouted her at her. "And he is never coming back!" With his other hand, he grasped Zangetsu tightly and lifted it, ready to cut through the Shinigami. "Ichigo Kurosaki is weak. He is a weak and pathetic King who can't do anything right."

"If he is so weak and pathetic, then why do you still refer to him as the King?" Rukia gasped out. Shiro let out an animalistic growl and tightened his grasp on her throat. Rukia panicked when she realized he was going to kill her without a second thought.

Everything happened in a sudden blur. The hollow swung his sword down to cut her clean, but he somehow ended up cutting his own arm; the arm that held Rukia tight. The hollow screamed in pain and let go of her, seizing his arm. "Damn you, Ichigo! Back off!" He forced his hand to let go of the sword and then he twisted violently, screaming for Ichigo to back off. "Don't come any closer! I'm the King! I won't go back to being the horse!" The white shihakusho was turning black and beginning to spread across Shiro's body.

"You back off," Ichigo answered, not relinquishing his control of his arm. He tried to drag the hollow into his inner world like Shiro had always done to him. "This isn't your body. This world doesn't belong to you. Rukia does not belong to you."

Shiro was screaming while clawing at his arm, trying to stop the black from spreading. "You'll never accomplish anything if you stop me now! You're not the King! I've done too much to lose everything now! Get away! Get away!"

Rukia stared at him in shock and then it clicked; Ichigo was protecting her and trying to regain control. "Ichigo! Come back to me!" she said desperately. "I love you, Ichigo, come back to me!"

Shiro shuddered violently and seized Rukia by her throat. "You bitch!" he swore as he had her pinned against the wall and was now trying to crush her throat. "You love me! ME, DO YOU HEAR?! You belong to me!" he screamed.

His other arm tried to pry his tightening grasp off of her and his eyes flickered from yellow to the warm brown she was used to. "Rukia," he rasped. It was Ichigo's voice. "Rukia, stab me."

"No, Ichigo, I won't!" Rukia answered, trying to get Shiro to let go of her. She was seeing colors know as there wasn't enough oxygen making it into her lungs. She couldn't and _wouldn't _stab the man she loved. Rukia couldn't bear to hold her nakama in her arms again as they slowly died by her hand. Her old scars in that regard ran deep and she could not have them painfully reawakened. "Ichigo, I won't do it. There has to be another way."

"Rukia, just do it," Ichigo growled, and got his hollow to let her go. "It'll be okay, Rukia," he said, trying his best to sound assuring. "I can't hold him off much longer."

His eyes flickered back to gold and he laughed coldly. "Oh, Ichigo, she's not going to kill us. That would be cruel," he said as he pushed Ichigo back into the inner world and tried to lock him away. The black retreated slowly, letting Shiro reclaim control on the body.

Biting her lip, Rukia stumbled back as she tried to get away from the hollow, while willing herself to wake up from this sick dream. She unsheathed her zanpakuto and grasped it tightly with her shaky fingers. "Bring Ichigo back," she said firmly, trying not to let her voice waver.

"Who are you to give me orders, Rukia-chan?" Shiro sneered. "You may be the Queen, but in the end, the King still outranks you. You don't get to tell me what to do. Now put away your sword. We all know that you don't have the heart to stab me."

"I'll do it! If it brings Ichigo back, I'll do it!" Rukia shouted. "I love Ichigo. I love him more than you."

"And like I said before, Ichigo's not coming back," Shiro said, strangely calm. "So just forget about him!"

"You're lying! Ichigo's in there somewhere! Baka, fight back! Don't let your hollow control you," she said, trying to reach out to him. Ichigo had to be in there somewhere. He just had to be.

"HE'S DEAD!" Shiro shouted, sick of hearing _his_ Queen ramble on and on about Ichigo.

"YOU'RE LYING!" Rukia screamed back at him as she began sobbing.

"Rukia, you idiot. Stab me!" Ichigo's voice was back and black coiled around Shiro's arm again.

She could only watch in shock as Ichigo's body twisted violently once more as Ichigo and his hollow fought for control. "She's mine! She's mine!" Shiro kept repeating. "I won't let you have her!"

"Rukia, stab me!" Ichigo shouted once more.

"No, please," Rukia begged weakly. They were both screaming at her now. She couldn't even make out their words anymore. She just wanted the screaming to stop. She just wanted this mess to end. She just wanted to go back to her first kiss with Shiro and stop it from happening.

"Rukia!" Shiro howled.

"Rukia!" Ichigo hissed.

"I won't let you have her. She's mine!" Shiro shrieked, and with what strength he had left, he seized control of their body and lunged at Rukia.

"No," Rukia whispered and she squeezed her eyes shut, while bringing her sword up to defend herself. It was Kaien all over again and the past she tried to shut out was agonizingly ripped open and reawakened. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she clutched _Sode no Shirayuki_'s hilt in an iron grasp. She could feel her hands go raw and blood seeping through her fingers. Was it her blood? She couldn't tell with Shiro's trickling from his wound and mingling with hers. Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked up to meet his eye.

Shiro was smiling.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Rukia croaked. "I just fucking stabbed you." Her words only seemed to make his smile grow bigger. "Stop smiling!" she screamed at him. "Get that damned smile off your face!" With her sleeve, she wiped away the tears streaming down her face as she stifled a sob.

The hollow finally let out a laugh. A hollow bitter laugh that suited him just fine. "I always knew you would be the death of me one day. How fitting that the beauty kills the beast." With a weak grunt, he closed his hands over Rukia's and pulled the sword out of his chest. Coughing, he heaved up blood and then collapsed to the ground. Black and red began spreading across Shiro's white shihakusho. The black crawled up slowly, mingling with the blood pouring out of his chest wound, and seeping into the pure white. Within moments, all traces of Shiro had vanished and Ichigo was back in control.

Rukia knelt down at his side and carefully eased his head onto his lap. "Ichigo!" she called out, as her fingers tightened in his mop of orange hair. "Ichigo!" He was unconscious and unresponsive. "Oh, god, wake up, Ichigo," she pleaded, shaking his shoulders with one hand as the other applied pressure onto his chest wound. "Ichigo, open your eyes, please!" She was sobbing as she continuously begged for him to wake up. His blood was seeping through her fingers and was not stopping no matter how much pressure she applied. His wound bled out, trickling down onto the floor where it formed into a growing puddle of red.


	10. Farewell

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach!  
A/N: I'm so sorry to all of you for my lack of updates. I've just lost all interest in Bleach...  
But either way, I was determined to finish this story at least so here's the last chapter. I'm sorry if it seemed rushed. I really just wanted to wrap this up, and honestly, I really can't think of anything else to add. I think I covered everything...  
Thank you to everyone who has been reading~**

* * *

Shiro was fading.

In the inner world, Ichigo stood atop one of the skyscrapers watching as Shiro's form crumbled away slowly into nothingness. It was reminiscent to the time he had first defeated him and when Shiro defeated him himself.

"This isn't over just yet," the hollow said quietly, pride shattered and ego deflated.

"I thought so," Ichigo answered. "See you around then?"

"Pft, don't sound so hopeful! I _will_ overthrow you as King and then next time, Rukia-chan will love me for real," Shiro answered with a scowl.

"She does love you," Ichigo said assuringly. "Rukia sincerely loved you."

"But she loved you better," Shiro said, finishing the lingering 'but' at the end of Ichigo's words.

"I'm sure she loved us the same. We _are_ the same, aren't we?" Ichigo said.

Shiro laughed hard, answering, "I hate your compassion, King. It's your worst trait as well as the one that makes us different. But... It's also the trait that makes her love you more." He sighed warily, scratching the back of his head. "You should lose it. Seriously. For the day she'll stomp on your heart."

"She won't," Ichigo replied with a firm nod. "And if she did, it'd be our heart."

"No, it wouldn't. She just brutally stomped on mine, and I don't even have a heart!" he laughed maniacally. "Ahhh, don't you just love the irony of it? Maybe you two really do suit each other better."

Ichigo stood in silence, unsure how to respond. "Shiro, did you really love her? Or have you just been using her to overthrow me?"

Shiro raised an eyebrow to the King's question and pondered thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully before answering with a shrug. "I really don't know. Whether these emotions are yours or truly mine, I was at one point completely smitten with her. Now, I've woken up from this disillusionment and I know that she and I were not meant to be. So perhaps I did not love her like I believed I had."

The redhead stood there, trying to absorb his words and understand them. Maybe he never would and it would remain one of life's mysteries. "So you were using her?"

"Maybe, maybe not," the hollow answered with a shrug. "I don't know, and I'd rather not find out. I hate these mushy feelings and I'm going to request that you keep them to yourself so I can remain my detached self."

As the rest of the hollow began to crumble away, Ichigo gave a tentative wave, softly saying his farewell. "Next time, just stick to attempting to be King rather than getting your own Queen," he said, trying to keep the tone light.

"Shut up," Shiro snapped, disappearing into the air. They stood in silence. Ichigo remained steady and firm, watching the hollow dissipate and waiting until he was gone for good. Shiro looked away as his body from neck down was gone. "Don't you dare hold this over her," he said, breaking the silence. "Don't you hold this over her. It's not her fault that this happened. You remember that! Well? Go on. She's calling for you," he said, uttering his last words with dignity and a renewed pride.

"Yeah," Ichigo said with a nod. "She's calling for _us_."

* * *

When Ichigo woke up, he found himself in his home's clinic with his father and Rukia standing over him worriedly. Rukia nearly let out a sob of relief as she threw her arms around him tightly. Isshin sighed and left, giving them their much needed alone time.

"You stupid idiot! I thought... I thought..." Rukia stammered, unable to string a sentence together.

Ichigo offered a warm smile and pat her head affectionately. "Shouldn't you know by now that you can't get rid of me that easy?" he said, chuckling lightly. His rich laughter was cut short by a strained cough.

"Take it easy," Rukia said urgently, concerned for his well-being. "You're still recovering."

"What happened? How long have I been out?" he asked, confused.

"When Shiro left, you were bleeding everywhere. I tried saving you, but I couldn't and there was _so _much blood. I'm lucky that Kisuke can't ever mind his business," she said guiltily. "He was the one who saved you and brought you home. You've been out for only a day." Ichigo pulled away his hospital gown to see the ivory colored scar left behind from Rukia's zanpakuto. "It scarred. I'm sorry," she said guiltily, looking anywhere but his eyes. "This is all my fault. Forgive me."

"It's okay, Rukia. I just have to wonder what the hell was going through your mind when you hooked up with _him_?" Ichigo answered.

"I don't know," she answered sincerely. "I just... I'm so stupid. Looking back, I regret it all. I just wish I could have taken it all back and not be such a fool." She really was in a state of self-loathing and guilt. "If I hadn't... Then you wouldn't..." She was near tears again and Ichigo really hated it whenever she was crying.

"Rukia, we all make mistakes," he told her kindly as he brought an arm around her. "You'll just have to make it up to me in tenfold."

"Why?" she demanded, pulling away. "Ichigo, I nearly killed you. I let Shiro have your body and I didn't even try to save you. I'm selfish. Why are you so kind to me? I don't need this pity! If you hate me and never want to talk to me again, tell me! It's not right for you to hide your feelings. I've already hidden my feelings long enough. Don't do the same. Tell me the truth!"

"It's okay, Rukia," Ichigo said, pressing his forehead against hers. "You had your reasons."

"I'm so stupid. I hated him, you know? I knew it was wrong. I knew, but I... I liked the attention. I couldn't help it. I'm human, you know. Even if I am a Shinigami, I'm still human, Ichigo," she sobbed, withdrawing from him. Ichigo persistently pulled her back close, not willing to let her get away again. She was still shaking from the traumatic event of reliving her past. He held her close as she sobbed violently into his hospital gown. "I'm so screwed up," she whispered, clinging to him, minding his wound as she did so.

"Yes, yes you are," he answered. "But Rukia, I really do forgive you. You're human after all, and you did the right thing in the end. It's all that matters."

"How did you do it? Take back control, I mean," she asked.

"I was mad at you, at first. You left me in the dark, went behind my back and betrayed me, so I was mad," he admitted. "But when he got mad at you for confessing your true feelings, I knew I couldn't let him hurt you. No matter what, I'm not going to let petty feelings get in the way of protecting you. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, Rukia, and I put you up so high on that pedestal that you're bound to lose your balance and fall off. I love you, Rukia," he said sincerely.

She gasped at the confession and cried harder, hugging him tightly. "You're too kind. I'm so sorry, Ichigo. I'm so sorry."

"Quit apologizing already. Didn't I already say that I forgave you?"

"Yeah... I'm so-"

Ichigo cut her off with a kiss. He was relentless, kissing her fervently with passion mirroring Shiro's. Maybe even more desperate. It was as if he was trying to prove to her that he _wasn't_ Shiro and that he was _real_ and all of this was _real_ and she wouldn't have to _dream_ any more.

"Quit apologizing," he said sternly when he broke away.

She sat there dazed for a few seconds before snapping back into reality. "This is real," she said, confirming it. "I love you, Ichigo."

"I know," he answered. "I love you, too." Caressing her cheek, he pulled her into a kiss again, murmuring sweet nothings into her, convincing her that _he_ really did love her and he wouldn't hold this over head.

She, however, would hang onto this regret for years, until coming to terms with herself and her guilt. It was five years later when Ichigo gave her an engagement ring that Rukia was sure that she could let go of Shiro and come to terms with herself for good. The fling, fun while it lasted, really was nothing compared to the real thing. It's just a shame she had to learn it the hard way.


End file.
